Nats to open '18 season on the road in March

WASHINGTON -- The Nationals will open the 2018 season with a three-game series in Cincinnati starting on March 29, when all 30 Major League clubs are scheduled to begin the season on the earliest start date in MLB history.

WASHINGTON -- The Nationals will open the 2018 season with a three-game series in Cincinnati starting on March 29, when all 30 Major League clubs are scheduled to begin the season on the earliest start date in MLB history.

It's the beginning of a six-game road trip for the Nationals, which includes a three-game series in Atlanta. The Nats return to Washington for their home opener on April 5 against the Mets at Nationals Park, which will also be the site of the 2018 All-Star Game presented by Mastercard in July.

Washington will be coming off consecutive National League East titles entering the 2018 season, after wrapping up the '17 crown Sunday afternoon. The NL East matches up with the American League East next year for Interleague Play, meaning the Nats will welcome the Yankees (May 15-16), Rays (June 5-6) and Red Sox (July 2-4) to Nationals Park. The annual Battle of the Beltways with the Orioles will be expanded to three games in each club's park, beginning Memorial Day at Camden Yards (May 28-30) and Nationals Park on June 19-21. For the road portion of Interleague Play, the Nats will visit Yankee Stadium (June 12-13), Rogers Centre in Toronto (June 15-17) and Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg (June 25-26).

Nationals Park will play host to one of the biggest events on the baseball calendar, as the 89th Midsummer Classic will be played on July 17.

The Nationals also host a few holiday crowds, beginning with the annual Fourth of July contest, this year with the Red Sox in town. The Brewers come to town for Labor Day weekend, while the Cardinals will be at Nats Park for the holiday itself.

Twenty-seven of the Nationals' final 40 games will come against division foes. They host the Mets and Marlins for their final homestand of the year from Sept. 20-26, before heading to Colorado for the final series of the regular season.